Due to poor communication from my company, it is almost certain I am off work to the 20th April. What is the state of play with the rest of the gang?
I'm going back in on Wednesday 15th, to find out whether there are enough orders to re-open our factory on a limited basis. So I might be going back to work, but possibly part time. I haven't been furloughed, so I won't be breaking any rules. Remember folks, while you are on the furlough scheme (if you are on it) you cannot do any work for your employer. Your employer will tell you if you're on it or not. The original reason we closed was not down to lack of work, it was a decision to protect staff. So there will probably be things to do. But I think there may only be 3 of us going in (all with our own cars for transport), so safe practice and distancing should be possible.
No doubt that'll relieve the boredom? Getting back to normality will be a long road and possibly this will be the start? Once my place opens up I will be pushing strongly for a wfh, I'm the only one having to negotiate all forms of public transport on a daily basis, consequently I have my own welfare to consider on top of the other staff.
I hope the Charlton 606 moderator is observing the lockdown and not sneeking out for another rendezvous with Ivor. 21° today and he might have burnt his head.
You have nailed it Mr Spanner. Kojak and Ivor probably went out for a beer, baldy developed sun stroke and passed out. He is now tied up in Ivor's garage
I am extremely disappointed with some of what Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been saying about NHS workers who have died from Coronavirus infection. He has questioned whether some of the infected health workers caught the virus 'in the line of duty' or just picked it up elsewhere. And he has suggested some staff are being wasteful with PPE items. I'm sorry, that is just so poor. He sounds like a Soviet Apparatchik questioning whether people who cleared up the mess after the Chernobyl disaster got cancer from their exposure to the horrific radiation there, or just picked it up out of bad luck like some of the rest of us. The lack of PPE on the front line is a terrible problem. And it is heartbreaking that this virus is claiming the lives of the very best of our people - those who risk everything to help the sick. Those who know that their choice to help may well claim their own life. I don't blame the Government entirely for that situation. It may be that mistakes were made 3 or 4 weeks ago. Mistakes that (with hindsight) should have been avoided. But even now, pointing the blame game finger is not going to help anybody. Everything possible MUST be done here and now TODAY, even if the PPE supply battle is slowly being lost. But to question where our NHS heroes might have picked up their infection from, and to say that some may be squandering equipment that could save their lives sounds like cowardly defensiveness. Our hospital workers cannot give anything more. Don't turn the responsibility for the disease they are catching back on them.
It's a bit like criticising somebody that went out to war and died, he should have avoided the bullet.
Just like what Donald Trump said about Senator John McCain. Everything anyone needs to know about Trump was summed up in the despicable comments he made.
Some free advice. If you have any spare dosh, invest it in the global gold markets. I have been since late January. Will go higher and higher the more the lockdown continues. Went up 6% last week alone. Predictions are a weekly rise like this for at least 3/4 months.
Here is a table giving approximate proportions of infections & mortalities per head of population in 5 European Countries plus the USA. The last column on the right gives the comparison of deaths per head of population. 12th April NOTE: The data in the columns headed in dark red is least accurate. The number of confirmed infections relies on the efficiency of each country's testing systems. We know our testing regime in the UK lags behind pretty much everybody elses' at present. Germany currently has the lowest proprtion of deaths per head of population; 1 Coronavirus fatality for every 30,000 people. The rate in the UK is currently about 1 Coronavirus fatality for every 8,095 people. France, Italy and Spain are suffering worst in this respect.
Every pandemic in history has ALWAYS had at least 2 waves. The second wave of the Asian flu in the 1950s was far more deadly than the first. Our deadliest ever pandemic, the bubonic plague had 5 waves and lasted 5 years.
We can hope that by the time the second wave of Coronavirus hits us, we have a vaccine available to everyone. This is why it is vital that we buy every day that we can now, by slowing down this first wave. Each passing day brings us 24 hours closer to having that vaccine. The death rate of infected people in countries that have well developed health care systems is well under 10%. When this pandemic hits Africa, that rate could rocket up to 20%, 30% or even higher. The health services in many countries will collapse, which will lead to other fatalities as well. For that reason as well, we need to buy time for Africa and other developing parts of the world. If we can mass vaccinate in time, a million lives or more might be saved there. Perhaps there will not be enough time. But we have to try. We must be able to look back in a few years and know (whatever happens) that we could not do any more to prevent it.
There are mutterings that a UK company 'may' have a vaccine in September. Obviously there may be a gap before it becomes commercially available. Again rumour is they could begin to prepare the route to this while still testing, but that's a high risk strategy. But hey, a glimmer of light is more than welcome.